Periodic motor vehicle test (APK)

During a periodic motor vehicle test (MOT, or 'APK' in Dutch) your vehicle is inspected by a garage or by an RDW-approved testing station in the Netherlands. The inspector from the company carrying out the APK will check whether the vehicle is roadworthy, environmentally safe and registered correctly.

When do you need an APK?

When you need to have your car, commercial vehicle or trailer tested for the first time depends on the following factors:

• the type of vehicle (car, light commercial vehicle, heavy commercial vehicle);
• the date when the vehicle was first allowed to go on public roads;
• the type of fuel (petrol, diesel, LPG).

After the initial test, your vehicle needs to be tested annually or every two years. The website of the Centre for Vehicle Technology and Information (RDW) includes a table which shows when you need to have your vehicle tested.